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Erik ten Hag subbed Manchester United star Ronaldo for Rashford vs Newcastle to “keep them fresh”
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag revealed that he subbed Cristiano Ronaldo for Marcus Rashford against Newcastle United to avoid fatigue. The Red Devils are set to play four games in 10 days.
The Portuguese started his first Premier League game of this season against the Magpies on 16 October at Old Trafford. However, the 37-year-old could not affect the outcome, as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
Ronaldo was replaced by Marcus Rashford in the 72nd minute. The England international did look more threatening in the match. However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner did not seem happy. The Portuguese was fuming when his number was displayed.
Speaking after the game to the media via Metro, Ten Hag Ronaldo’s substitution was precautionary. The Dutch manager does not have many options for the number nine role in the squad.
“We have to cover four games in 10 days, and especially for the strikers I want to keep them fresh.
“I want to keep them all fresh, so we have to rotate there. We have some problems there, Martial is not available in this moment, so we have a player less.”
Anthony Martial has had issues with his fitness in the current campaign. The French national has only featured for Man United sporadically. However, the 26-year-old has managed to contribute whenever he has been on the pitch.
Ronaldo’s previous start for the Red Devils in the league came in the 4-0 loss to Brentford. Since then, the Portuguese has had to settle for a role off the bench.
Ten Hag has instead trusted the likes of Rashford and Martial to play up top. And the English and French duo have been impressive this season.
Against Newcastle, Ronaldo did not have many opportunities. The 37-year-old did find the back of the net after pouncing on a free-kick that Nick Pope was standing on. However, Craig Pawson ruled it out. The Portuguese could also have been awarded a penalty in the match.
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Man United take on Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea next in a matter of days. We need all our players ready for those fixtures.
